Ikea Cookie Sheet...

While I love Ikea for almost everything...sometimes things just don't work the way you'd like them to. Take this cookie sheet. I have been using one of those disposable sheets because the only sheets I find are for too expensive ($13 or so). On our last trip to Ikea I picked this one up and was sooo happy...it was only $6.99





Then I used it...I hadn't realized there was a rolled edge on the sheet. After cooling my favorite cookies on top of my electric stove, I tried to remove the sheet and couldn't. The rolled edge was caught in the heating element! UGH! The damg thing gets caught on everything! I still love my $6.99 Drommar cookie sheet, but I wish it was FLAT!

Diaper Rash Ointment Review...

I thank God my daughter never had much diaper rash...I was kind of a mad woman about changing her diaper right away! She is over a year old and has only had diaper rash twice when she was very young. I tried a few things but nothing worked, until her then doctor told me about Triple Paste . It's super expensive, but I swear it worked overnight! I tried Desitin Creamy, and Palmer's Bottom Butter, but neither worked on her horrible rash. I did also keep her out of her diaper more to air it out (her doctor recommended), and for that I laid her out on adult incontinence leakage pads like these, which can also be used as WeeWee pads for doggy training ;o)

Diaper Review

I am guilty of purchasing Pampers brand Swaddlers and Swaddlers Sensitive diapers for the first 6 months. I loooooved them. I tried Huggies, but they were too stiff and hard. I tried Luvs, but they were crappy. Pampers brand is amazing; super soft and fit well. Once we moved to Portland, and were living on one small income, paying $40 for a box of diapers was out of the question. I decided to look into store brands, and started with Safeway Mom to Mom brand. They were horrible. The shape was ridiculous. They were square, which meant my daughter walked around with a huge bulge between her legs. On a trip to Target I saw that they have their own brand Up & Up. The polka dot pattern was cute (wish they made pink and yellow for girls!) and they were cheap so I gave them a try. I loved them! They're great great great! The shape is close to Pampers brand, and they are not stiff. I have been using them now for 6 months and am doing wonderfully. I even got my sister in NYC (who gave birth to my nephew 5 days after I gave birth to my daughter!) to switch from Pampers! She's also tried the Babiesrus brand, and didn't like them because she had to re-adjust the tabs all of the time. I just couldn't believe how much money I spent on diapers before Up & Up. I've done a little research online, and have found some mothers complaining of rash with Up & Up, or most not even mentioning them and talking more about CVS and Rite Aid brand diapers. So I checked out their sites for cost comparison and Up & Up are by far the better value!

Here's the break down for a size 4 (example):

Pampers Cruisers 46ct $17.49 shown here that's over 38 cents per diaper
Pampers Dry 52ct $17.49 shown here that's over 33 cents per diaper
Babiesrus Supreme 46ct $10.99 shown here that's over 23 cents per diaper
Rite Aid 34ct $9.99 shown here that's over 29 cents per diaper
Huggies 46ct $17.79 shown here that's over 38 cents per diaper
Mom to Mom 64ct $15.99 shown here that's over 24 cents per diaper
Mom to Mom 52ct $10.99 shown here that's over 21 cents per diaper
Target 82ct $14.99 in storeshown here that's over 18 cents per diaper

Please keep in mind, just about every brand has a regular diaper and sometimes a supreme or "better" quality diaper. I included a few, but not all. I tried to find packages that were about the same size too.

In the end Target brand Up & Up totally wins! By the way...they make just about everything else too. I've purchased their version of Oil of Olay facial moisturizer, Johnson & Johnson baby lotion and body wash, and Head & Shoulders shampoo, and they're all great! Shopping on a budget is totally doable...it just takes some time and research!

My Monkey...

I had to buy this for her at the zoo. It's a great first zoo visit memory keepsake, but she's also been my little monkey lately...clinging to me just like this!

My baby's first knee scrape...

It happened at the zoo yesterday...

First of many. She's so adventurous!

The Zoo...

Today was Brianlily's first time visiting the zoo! So amazing when animals finally caught her attention, to see her amazement..."you mean these things are real!?" I did however have the same feeling I always have with zoos, circus', and aquariums...it's just so sad! These animals locked up makes me want to free them all! I understand the educational part of it, but how much are people actually learning from their visit?I made the decision to take my daughter to all of these places and let her decide if she wants to continue, as for me I'd rather not.

PS...I really enjoyed today! And I really noticed just how big the Bronx Zoo is compared to our little Oregon Zoo!


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PDX Weather...

We've been having nice mild weather, and it's only going to get better starting tomorrow! I'm so excited. After my first rainy season here, I grab my daughter and run outside at the slightest sign of sun! Sure does beat NYC weather lately.


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Home Made Macaroni & Cheese...

I made great mac & cheese last night. I hate, hate, hate following recipes...it's too much work to measure things out. I find a recipe that sounds easy or interesting and I follow most of it, then add my own ingredients and measurements and it usually works!

Here's what I used:
about 12oz. Whole Wheat Elbows
1 lb. shredded sharp cheddar
2 heads of broccoli (just the tops, no stems)
2 cups of milk
1 egg beaten
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 large onion

This is what I did:
Saute'd onion in butter until they were translucent, added milk, egg, and cheese until cheese was melted. Then added pasta and broccoli. Tossed, then placed in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes.

Note: this was a combination of two recipes, and the ww pasta and the onion was my addition.

My Pelo...

My hair drives me crazy. My hair was long all through junior high and high school, but after graduation I chopped it off and have since only grown it out once! That's over 10 years! I would love to have my hair long again, but it's just too much damn work growing it out. I should also mention, I'm usually the one to cut my hair, this most recent is no exception.
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Child Proofing...

So I've tried 3 different outlet plug covers before I found my favorite.

I started with these GE brand covers, but they popped out too easily.


Then I tried these Safety 1st brand covers and they were a joke!

In the end, these Child Safe brand covers were the toughest to get out. They are sold at Ace Hardware.

Lady Bug!

A lady bug made it's way into our kitchen! Such good luck!

lady bug symbology

Sippy Cups...

My daughter is officially off the bottle! Where did my baby go?!

Buying her first sippy cups was a nightmare. The wall of cups at Babiesrus was daunting to say the least. Too expensive or too bulky were my complaints. Then they're put into age categories which makes it harder...yes she's 12 months, but just starting out so do I go with a 6 month cup!? Why does this crap have to be so hard! In the end I opted for Gerber Graduates cups (didn't hurt that they were on sale BOGO 1/2 off). And we looove them. They're perfect for her. No spills, compact, and easy for her to hold even when they're full.

ugh...

U G H


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TERRIFIED...

ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT THERE WAS A HUGE COMMOTION OUTSIDE OUR BUILDING. WE LIVE ON THE GROUND FLOOR, SO IT WAS IN OUR FACES. A FIRE TRUCK, A POLICE CAR, AND AMBULANCE WERE PARKED OUTSIDE AT ABOUT 11PM. SOON AFTER, A HUGE POLICE BUS PARKED ITSELF WHERE THE FIRE TRUCK WAS. THE NEXT MORNING MY BOYFRIEND SAW A POLICE OFFICER SITTING IN FRONT OF AN APARTMENT DOWN THE HALL FROM US WHEN HE LEFT FOR WORK. THE BIG POLICE BUS WAS STILL THERE. AT ABOUT 530PM ON THURSDAY MY BOYFRIEND CALLED FROM WORK AND TOLD ME TO CHECK OUT THE NEWS...A WOMAN HAD BEEN STRANGLED TO DEATH IN THAT APARTMENT.

I'M HORRIFIED. TERRIFIED. I HAVE A DAUGHTER, WHO I WORRY ABOUT EVERY SECOND OF THE DAY. I'VE LIVED IN FEAR HERE BECAUSE WE'RE ON THE GROUND FLOOR AND I NEVER REALLY FELT SAFE IN THIS BUILDING. NOW MY FEARS HAVE BEEN CONFIRMED.

AFTER THINKING ABOUT IT I REALIZED THERE WAS NO WOMAN THAT LIVED THERE. I KNEW WHO DID. IT WAS A MAN WHO WORE RED SNEAKERS. I'VE PASTED HIM IN THE HALLS A THOUSAND TIMES. I'VE PASSED HIM IN THE HALLS WITH MY DAUGHTER. HE ALWAYS SAID HELLO TO ME.

I JUST CHECKED OUT THE NEWS FOR ANY UPDATES. AND THERE HE WAS. FRONT PAGE...ARRESTED FOR THE WOMAN'S DEATH.

I'VE NEVER BEEN THROUGH ANYTHING LIKE THIS, AND AM SHAKEN TO MY CORE. I PRAY FOR HER, FOR US.

3am...

Why am I always falling asleep at 3am!? Dammit!


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Getting Fingered!

There is a guy in my building that has taken to fingering his trashy girlfriend in FRONT OF MY WINDOW! I HAAAVE TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS SHIT!

Tylenol...

I just have to say...Tylenol droppers are DUMB! I use the Dye Free Formula which is white, and the dosage markers on the dropper are white too! STUPID! It's so hard to read. I'm sure it's easier with the red formula, but COME ON! Why can't they make the white formula with RED markers, and the red formula with WHITE markers!?

COUGH WARS...